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This week’s AEW Dynamite was Summer Blockbuster as Will Osprey faced Swerve Strickland, and a Kenny Omega-Kazuchika Okada contract signing. It was the second straight week where AEW presented a 4-hour show. It was Dynamite and Collision back to back for four hours of content. I was watching the NBA Finals on Wednesday. I’m only […]

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The John Report

This week’s AEW Dynamite was Summer Blockbuster as Will Osprey faced Swerve Strickland, and a Kenny Omega-Kazuchika Okada contract signing.

It was the second straight week where AEW presented a 4-hour show. It was Dynamite and Collision back to back for four hours of content. I was watching the NBA Finals on Wednesday.

I’m only going to review the Dynamite portion because that’s what I review every week. I don’t review Collision, but I’ll put the results in at the bottom of the review. The shows aired on TSN2 here in Canada.

For this review, I’ll go summary style for most of the show and play-by-play for one or two matches.

This was AEW Dynamite episode #297 from the Moda Center’s Theater of the Clouds in Portland, Oregon. Follow me on Twitter/X @johnreport. Let’s get to it.

There was some backstage pre-show walking of Toni Storm arriving with Luther. “Hangman” Adam Page talked to Christopher Daniels, who told Page that Page has friends in the locker room and Daniels encouraged Page despite their history. As Page walked in, Jon Moxley and the Death Riders were shown keeping an eye on him.

It’s Wednesday night, and you know what that means. The commentary team was Excalibur, Ian Riccaboni, and Taz.

The big match is starting the show with Will Ospreay up first, followed by Swerve Strickland, with Prince Nana. The fans love both guys and they are two of my favorites as well. The NBA Finals Game 3 on ABC started at 8:30 p.m. ET, so putting this match on before the game started was a smart move.

Will Ospreay vs. Swerve Strickland (w/Prince Nana)

The reason the graphic at the top of this review says “2” is that they had a great match at Forbidden Door in June 2024 that Swerve won, so this is their second match.

They shook hands at the start of the match. They started out doing some moves like headscissors, but both guys landed on their feet and they had a staredown after that. Swerve decked Will with an elbow to the jaw. Will was bleeding from the mouth or nose early on. Will hit a hurricanrana, body slam and a standing Sky Twister Press. Will chopped Swerve a few times, Swerve no sold it and Swerve decked Will with an elbow smash. Swerve hit an uppercut to Will’s back. Swerve hit a jumping flatliner and a suplex for two. Taz said that hooking the leg on a pin is overrated. Yeah, but Taz, it’s a pro wrestling commentator cliché to put over how important it is to do that. Just saying we’ve been hearing it our whole lives. Swerve hit a backbreaker for two. Will hit a chop to the throat and a corkscrew kick. Will jumped off the top rope with a springboard elbow. Will did a handspring dive over the top onto Swerve on the floor. Good job by Swerve to step up and catch Will because otherwise it would have missed. They went to a picture-in-picture break.

(Commercial)

Will was in control after jumping off the top with a forearm to the back. Will went for an Oscutter off the ropes, but Swerve avoided it and hit a Cutter. Swerve hit a neckbreaker. Will got a backslide pin for two. Swerve kicked Will against the ropes and hit a neckbreaker on the floor. Swerve put Will across the top rope and Swerve jumped off the top with a double foot stomp to the back for two. Will and Swerve avoided big moves. Swerve did an up kick to Will, but Will came back with an elbow smash to the jaw. Swerve avoided a slam and hit a powerslam. Will countered Swerve and hit a Stundog Millionaire. Will jumped off the ropes, but Swerve caught him and applied a short arm scissors on the left arm. Will managed to get back up to his feet and slammed Swerve hard into the turnbuckle. Will trapped Swerve against the turnbuckle and hit a superkick. Will hit a Reverse Rana to spike Swerve on his head. Swerve hit a forearm, but Will came back with a Spanish Fly for two. Will jumped off the ropes and hit an Oscutter for two, as usual, with that move. Swerve did a back body drop that sent Will over the top to the floor. Swerve tried a leap to the floor, but Swerve was selling a left knee injury. Will hit Swerve with the Hidden Blade on the floor. The fans were chanting “Holy s**t” for that. Both guys were down on the floor, which led to a PIP break.

(Commercial)

The two men were standing as Will hit two superkicks to the jaw that didn’t knock Swerve down. Will hit two more kicks to knock Swerve down to his knees. Will went for the Hidden Blade elbow, but Swerve ducked and Will hit the turnbuckle. Swerve got a hold of Will’s left arm and did an arm drag off the top rope. Swerve applied the short arm scissors on the left arm again. Will got out of it, went for a Styles Clash and Swerve hit the Deadeye that Hangman Page does. That move always looks more painful for the guy doing the move. Swerve went for the Swerve Stomp, but Will avoided it and Will hit a Hidden Blade for a two count while doing a cover where he was laying with his back on Swerve. The fans were chanting, “This is awesome,” as the wrestlers had a staredown. Excalibur noted it was about 25 minutes into the 30-minute time limit. Will and Swerve exchanged elbow strikes, Will kicked Swerve in the leg and Swerve did an arm-wringer takedown followed by a House Call kick. Swerve went up top and hit a Swerve Stomp on Will for a two count. Swerve stomped on Will’s left arm as well. Swerve charged, but Will was back up with an elbow smash. Will hit the Stormbreaker for just a two count. Taz noted they had about two minutes left in the time limit. Will teased a Tiger Driver, Swerve avoided it and Swerve hit a Vertebreaker, which is a cool looking move. Swerve hit a House Call kick to the head as well went to the apron and Swerve was too tired to make a cover. Will was seated on the apron while Swerve went up top and the bell rang to end the match. The fans booed that. It was a 30-minute time limit draw.

I feel bad for the fans in the arena because they never announced that they were close to the 30-minute time limit. With two minutes left, the ring announcer should say that they are 28 minutes into the match. It would get the fans more into the match.

Match Result: 30-Minute Time Limit Draw

Analysis: ****1/2 Awesome match as expected by Swerve and Will, who are two of the best wrestlers in AEW. The draw finish was done to show how even these guys are and prevent them from taking a fall, so it keeps them both strong. It will also likely set up a rematch between them, which will be highly anticipated because of how talented Will and Swerve are. There was some incredible counter wrestling throughout the match. Will hit his Hidden Blade and Swerve hit his Swerve Stomp, but they weren’t able to win with them. Will also hit a Stormbreaker that was only good for a two count. A lot of big moves were hit, but they kicked out of everything until they got to the 30-minute mark for the draw. I’m not a huge fan of time-limit draw finish endings, but I get why it’s done not to have either guy lose.

Swerve Strickland did a promo saying that he’s in so much pain, right? Swerve said that they just showed they are the best because AEW is where the best wrestle. Swerve said the only way to prove you’re the best is to win matches. Swerve talked about how they are both messed up, but he knows that Will wants to try to beat Swerve. That led to Swerve saying, “Sudden death.” Swerve wanted overtime, but it wasn’t happening.

The Death Riders music hit as AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta and Marina Shafir made their entrance from the back part of the arena. The Young Bucks went into the ring and attacked Swerve from behind. The Bucks hit the BTE Trigger double knee attack to the head. Nicholas Jackson superkicked Prince Nana to knock him off the apron to the floor. The Bucks handcuffed both of Swerve’s wrists to the middle ropes. The Bucks hit multiple superkicks on Swerve while nobody tried to help Swerve. The Bucks put on shoes that had thumbtacks on the bottom of them. Will stepped in front of Swerve and the Bucks superkicked Swerve as he took the superkicks with the tacks in them. The kick that Nick did looked better than the kick that Matt did. Will sold it great while Dr. Samsson checked on Will. The fans were chanting “F**k the Bucks” at the EVPs. Will was getting checked on by the doctor and referees.

Analysis: A good angle showing Will respected Swerve because he stepped in front of him to take the bullet, so to speak. I thought the angle was well done. It feels like All In Texas is going to have The Young Bucks against Swerve and Ospreay. There isn’t another obvious match for Swerve or Ospreay, so doing a tag team match makes sense. They could make it a Street Fight kind of match to allow them to be more violent during the match.

The AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada was interviewed by Renee Paquette, who mentioned his All In Texas match against Kenny Omega. Don Callis interrupted before Okada could speak. Callis wondered why Okada was in this match instead of Kyle Fletcher or Konosuke Takeshita. Callis said that makes him sick. Okada grabbed Don’s finger and twisted it, so Don’s “family” Lance Archer, Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita showed up. Okada called Callis a “bitch” and left.

(Commercial)

The Hurt Syndicate’s MVP was backstage. The Hurt Syndicate was shown beating up Komander, and MJF had Komander’s mask, so Komander was taken out of the match. That clip was from earlier today.

Mistico vs. Blake Christian (w/Lee Johnson)

Mistico is from CMLL, with the announcers putting him over as a big deal since AEW is in Mexico City next week. The announcers were putting over Mistico a lot. Blake pulled Mistico off the top rope with an armdrag to take control. Mistico hit a hurricanrana and an armdrag off the top that Blake sold well. Mistico hit a suicide dive headbutt onto Blake on the floor. Johnson grabbed Mistico’s leg, so Blake knocked Mistico down and Blake hit an impressive dive onto Mistico on the floor. Blake hit a springboard 450 Splash for two. Mistico got back up with a Spanish Fly slam off the top for the pinfall win. It went about four minutes.

Winner by pinfall: Mistico

Analysis: **1/2 Easy win to put over Mistico. Blake is talented, but he’s not being showcased on AEW TV, despite Ian mentioning that he wins matches in ROH. It’s strange how a 450 Splash is just a regular move in a four-minute match, rather than a finish.

The Hurt Syndicate’s MVP, MJF and Tag Team Champions Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin made their entrance. MVP said that MJF has a message for Mistico. MJF said that was very impressive, while also stating that he is the most complete wrestler in the sport today. MJF said he’ll give Mistico a match at Grand Slam Mexico and he’ll rip that stupid mask off his face. MJF said one night only, he’s dusting off the red, white and blue for Mistico. MJF said God Bless USA and your American hero, MJF. The fans booed. A giant USA flag, streamers and a patriotic song played.

MJF got in the ring with Mistico, who took the microphone. Mistico said he’ll see him next week in Mistico’s home, Arena Mexico. Mistico spoke in Spanish. MJF said that you’re not Mistico, you’re just sloppy Sin Cara. MJF tried to attack, Mistico fought back and Bobby & Shelton beat up Mistico. MJF teased taking off Mistico’s mask, but that led to The Hurt Syndicate’s opponents making their entrance. The trio of Dorada, Knight and Bailey hit cross body blocks on the THS guys.

Analysis: A simple angle to build up the MJF-Mistico match for next week. MJF will be hated in Mexico next week, I’m sure. Nice Sin Cara failure reference to recall the early 2010s character that Mistico played in WWE, and it failed miserably. He did a lot better as Mistico.

The Hurt Syndicate – Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin & Maxwell Jacob Friedman (w/MVP) vs. Jet Speed – Kevin Night & “Speedball” Mike Bailey, and Mascara Dorada

MJF had an MVP-like vest on. MJF hit Dorada with a body slam. Knight and Bailey hit some tag team moves on MJF, including Bailey hitting a standing moonsault. Lashley grabbed legal man Dorada and tossed him over the top to the floor. MJF distracted the referee while Lashley did that.

(Commercial)

The match returned with Knight getting the tag and hitting a dropkick. Lashley and Shelton both went in the ring against Jet Speed’s Bailey and Knight. Shelton clotheslined Bailey while Lashley hit a Dominator slam on Knight. Lashley spiked Bailey with a spinebuster. MJF hit a Made In Japan slam for a two count. Bailey kicked MJF and Dorada hit a springboard dropkick. Lashley hit a Spear on Dorada. Bailey hit Lashley with rapid-fire kicks, and Knight hit a DDT on Lashley. Jet Speed did a double dropkick to knock Shelton out of the ring. The babyface trio all hit dives onto the heels on the floor, which included Dorada doing an SSP off the middle rope onto MJF. MJF distracted the referee, so MVP hit Bailey with the cane to the body. MJF hit a hammerlock DDT on Bailey for the pinfall win. It went about 11 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: The Hurt Syndicate – Bobby Lashley, Shelton Benjamin & Maxwell Jacob Friedman

Analysis: ***1/4 A good match to put over The Hurt Syndicate since MJF is against Mistico next week, so of course, MJF got the win here. I like the Jet Speed team a lot and I think they could be built up to be title contenders.

After the match, The Hurt Syndicate group beat up Knight, Bailey and Dorada. MJF pulled Dorada’s mask off, so Dorada covered his face and turned around so he was facing forward. Dorada rolled out of the ring. Mistico went into the ring and Mistico hit the La Mistica armbar on MJF while Shelton and Bobby were on the floor. Mistico left.

Analysis: MJF taking off Dorada’s mask shows he could do it to Mistico next week, but it probably won’t happen.

(Commercial)

The Death Riders Attack “Hangman” Adam Page

There was supposed to “Hangman” Adam Page promo, but he was attacked by Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta of the Death Riders. They had page’s mouth taped and his hands tied behind his back. Marina Shafir had the AEW World Title briefcase, while Jon Moxley joined them in the ring. Nobody tried to help Hangman, of course.

Jon Moxley said that he’s terribly sorry about this. Moxley said that they needed to have a real conversation. Moxley said that these fans need him focused because this is your time – All In for the AEW World Championship. Moxley said this is do or die. Moxley said he’s been watching Hangman for a long time and said he is complicated. Moxley said Page is the “Millennial Cowboy” searching for something. Moxley told Page he had four weeks to find it and to step up so he could become the man to be the man everybody wanted him to become. Moxley said if you’re not ready to do that, then pack your shit and get out. Page headbutted Moxley, but then the Death Riders trapped Hangman. Claudio wanted to step on a chair that was on Page’s neck, but Moxley stopped him. The Opps trio of Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs and Katsuyori Shibata showed up for the save, so Moxley and friends ran away.

Analysis: It took a while for the save to happen because they were nice enough to let Jon Moxley do his promo first. Moxley is skilled at playing the cheap heel with his group backing him up.

Page did a promo saying he has come so far and would run through death itself to take that World Championship. Page said if he finds any of them tonight, he will take their heads. That was it.

Analysis: The good news for Page is this show is really long, so he has plenty of time to find them.

(Commercial)

Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford vs. Anna Jay & Tay Melo

Tay is back after two years. She had a baby with her husband, Sammy Guevera, and now she’s back in action. Ford pulled Tay out of the ring and sent her into the steel steps while Bayne hit Jay with a body slam. Jay got some offense going with forearms and spin kicks on Ford. Bayne hit a pump kick to take control going into the PIP break.

(Commercial)

The match continued with Tay hitting a German Suplex and running knee on Ford. Bayne was back in with a big elbow smash on Tay, but Tay came back with three pump kicks to Bayne’s face. Tay sent Bayne out of the ring, she hit a senton and Jay jumped off the turnbuckle with a cross body block on Bayne. Tay and Jay had to wait for about ten seconds while Ford set up and hit a moonsault on both women on the floor. Bayne hit a double fallaway slam. Ford insisted on a tag, Jay choked out Bayne and Tay hit a knee smash to the face of Ford for the pinfall win. It went about 11 minutes.

Winners by pinfall: Anna Jay & Tay Melo

Analysis: *** A solid tag team match to give Tay a win in her return to action. There are rumors that AEW will introduce Women’s Tag Team Titles soon, which makes sense, given their large roster of women and a decent number of teams. No surprise that Ford lost for her team since Bayne is more of a dominant heel wrestler who is protected a lot.

A video package featured the Kazuchika Okada-Kenny Omega rivalry, referencing their rich history of four epic matches together. I thought it was an excellent video that showed a lot of highlights of their outstanding matches. I’m not a regular NJPW watcher, but I watched their matches when they got a lot of attention last decade, and those matches were spectacular.

(Commercial)

Contract Signing: Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada

There was a table in the ring, along with the titles belonging to the wrestlers. AEW’s Tony Schiavone hosted the segment. The AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada made his entrance first. Kenny Omega made his entrance as the International Champion. It’s Okada against Omega at All In Texas on July 12th.

Tony said that the winner of the match at All In Texas would be the winner of the brand-new AEW Unified Title. In other words, the Intercontinental Championship and the Continental Championship will be merged into a new title.

Analysis: I have never understood why the Continental Championship was created in the first place. I know they did the Continental Classic tournament, but creating that title was unnecessary. They already had the AEW World, TNT, and International Titles. AEW has finally realized they have too many titles in the men’s division, so they are merging them into one.

Okada signed the contract first. Omega said it had been seven years since their last match. Omega said he barely recognized himself in the video package. Omega said let’s leave it all in the ring one final time…for everything. Omega signed the contract. Omega offered his hand for a handshake, so Okada shook it.

Don Callis walked out for a promo as the fans booed him as usual. There was quickly a “F**k Don Callis” chant while other fans booed him a lot. Callis claimed that this match should not be between Omega and Okada, but rather with Kyle or Takeshita. Omega said that he’s beaten them. Omega said Callis wasn’t going to ruin this match. Omega said for this match, it’s Kenny against Okada. Omega said he knows all of Don’s tricks. Callis said Omega didn’t know this trick as Okada hit Omega in the back of the head with a belt shot. Okada beat up Omega with punches. Callis gave Okada a “steel” baton, and Okada hit Omega in the stomach, while Excalibur mentioned that Omega had diverticulitis. Okada hit Omega in the back as well. The fans were chanting, “You Sold Out” at Okada. The AEW medical team checked on Omega and put him on a stretcher. The copyright graphic went on the screen to end Dynamite.

Okada went up top and hit an elbow drop to the stomach while Omega was on the stretcher board. Ouch. Nice cheap shot. Christoper Daniels went into the ring to try to stop Okada from doing more damage. Okada knocked Daniels down in the ring. Okada hit another elbow drop from the apron onto Omega on the floor. Omega was spitting up blood. Good use of the blood capsule to make it look worse. Okada left with Callis through the crowd.

Don Callis and Kazuchika Okada were backstage where Alex Marvez tried to talk to them, but Don said they’re not talking now. Callis and Okada left in a car that was waiting for them.

Analysis: Poor Kenny. I thought it was very effective as a cheap attack by Okada to get some heat on him and make the match with Omega even more personal. The thing with a “steel” baton is you barely have to touch the guy during the attack and it’s all about the sell by Omega, which was great. I don’t know if this means Okada will be joining the Don Callis Family or be managed by Callis for just one match. Okada was part of The Elite with The Young Bucks (and the absent Jack Perry), but that group hasn’t been together for a long time.

Here are the match results from the Collision portion of Summer Blockbuster.

* Kyle Fletcher (w/Lance Archer) defeated Anthony Bowens (w/Billy Gunn)

* Toni Storm (w/Luther) defeated Julia Hart (w/Skye Blue)

* Mark Briscoe, Tomohiro Ishii & Willow Nightingale defeated The MxM Collection and Taya Valkyrie (w/Johnny TV)

* Bandido defeated The Beast Mortos

* Thekla defeated Queen Aminata

* The Don Callis Family – Konosuke Takeshita, Lance Archer, Josh Alexander & Hechichero defeated Paragon – Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong, and Daniel Garcia

Analysis: I think all of those match results were obvious. The main event could have gone either way, but I’m not surprised by The Don Callis Family getting the win. I’m sure the announcers said every match was amazing, every wrestler is in the best shape of their careers and AEW is the best.

That was the end of the four-hour Summer Blockbuster.

===

Three Stars of the Show

  1. Will Ospreay
  2. Swerve Strickland
  3. Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada

===

The Scoreboard

This Week: 7.5 out of 10

Last Week: 7.5

2025 Average: 7.37

===

Final Thoughts on AEW Dynamite

I enjoyed the show for the most part. There was one amazing match between Ospreay and Strickland that was one of the best TV matches of the year. Most of the other matches were good or just okay, but they didn’t really touch Will-Swerve in terms of greatness. Will and Swerve were featured in the first 40 minutes of the show, so they received a lot of screen time. That angle with The Young Bucks will likely lead to a match between the Bucks and Will and Swerve at All In Texas.

The Kenny Omega-Kazuchika Okada angle was very effective in making it feel like a personal rivalry. If it was just a match where two guys shook hands and had respect, that would be fine, but I think it was smart to make Okada very heelish with that cheap attack.

The rest of the show was pretty good. Once again, the match between Ospreay and Strickland carried the show this week.

===

Thanks for reading. Go Toronto Blue Jays. You can contact me using any of the methods below.

John Canton

Email: mrjohncanton@gmail.com

Twitter/X: @johnreport

College Sports

College Credits: Glenview Residents Earn Dean’s List At University Of Iowa

GLENVIEW, IL — We’re keeping track of all the major higher education accomplishments of area students. Send your submissions to eric.degrechie@patch.com. Huskers Named To Deans’ List For spring 2025 More than 6,700 University of Nebraska-Lincoln students have been named to the Deans’ List for the spring semester of the 2024-25 academic year. Students from Glenview […]

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GLENVIEW, IL — We’re keeping track of all the major higher education accomplishments of area students. Send your submissions to eric.degrechie@patch.com.

Huskers Named To Deans’ List For spring 2025

More than 6,700 University of Nebraska-Lincoln students have been named to the Deans’ List for the spring semester of the 2024-25 academic year. Students from Glenview named to the list include:

  • Cole Brady, senior, Dean’s List, College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, environmental studies.
  • Nolan Alan Rachiele, junior, Dean’s List, College of Journalism and Mass Communications, broadcasting.

— Merit Pages News


2025 Spring Semester President’s List Honorees Announced At Iowa

More than 1,250 undergraduate students at the University of Iowa were named to the president’s list for the 2025 spring semester. Students from Glenview named to the list include:

  • Leah Desserich
  • Megan Flentye
  • Ariella Gutman
  • Emma Owens

— Merit Pages News


2025 Spring Semester Dean’s List Honorees Announced At Iowa

IOWA CITY, IA (06/19/2025)– More than 8,000 students at the University of Iowa were named to the dean’s list for the 2025 spring semester. Students from Glenview making the list include:

  • Francesca Bellavia
  • Emily Braasch
  • Carter Cohen
  • Mia Costello
  • Theodore Demos
  • Leah Desserich
  • Megan Flentye
  • Ariella Gutman
  • Tali Hans
  • Teighan Harris
  • Anna Heppner
  • Madeline Hussey
  • Vanessa Kaddatz
  • Patrick Keenan
  • Emilia Krolikowski
  • Evan McClung
  • Ainslee Nieman
  • Rachel Oldham
  • Emma Owens
  • Emily Pavlik
  • Skylar Read
  • Jacob Rueckert
  • Emmaline Schuh
  • Mackenzie Schuh
  • Emilia Scott
  • Samantha Sladoje
  • Margaret Thein
  • Samuel Zelinsky

— Merit Pages News


Ethan Albin Named to Spring 2025 Dean’s List at Hofstra University

Ethan Albin, of Glenview, excelled during the spring 2025 semester at Hofstra, achieving a GPA of at least 3.5 to earn a spot on the Dean’s List. Ethan’s major is Journalism.

— Merit Pages News



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College Sports

Puhl Named UW-Eau Claire Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach

Story Links **Release courtesy of UW-Eau Claire Sports Information EAU CLAIRE, Wis. –University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Director of Athletics Jason Verdugo announced the hiring of Courtney “CJ” Puhl as the university’s Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach on June 23. Puhl served as an assistant coach with the Blugolds in 2024 and 2025, including a […]

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**Release courtesy of UW-Eau Claire Sports Information

EAU CLAIRE, Wis.

–University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Director of Athletics Jason Verdugo announced the hiring of Courtney “CJ” Puhl as the university’s Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach on June 23.

Puhl served as an assistant coach with the Blugolds in 2024 and 2025, including a stint as interim head coach at the end of the 2025 campaign. She helped UW-Eau Claire finish as the runner-up at the WIAC Tournament this spring. The Blugolds posted a 23-12 record over the last two seasons with Puhl on the coaching staff.

“CJ has shown a remarkable dedication to developing our student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom,” Verdugo said. “I am confident that her commitment to their holistic development will ensure the program’s continued growth and the production of consistently competitive teams.”

Prior to her UW-Eau Claire experience, Puhl coached high school lacrosse teams for Hudson High School (Wis.) and Coronado High School (Nev.) between 2018-2023. She helped both programs earn state runner-up finishes — Hudson in 2022 and Coronado in 2023. She also has extensive experience coaching in the club game.

“I am so excited to continue to grow the game of lacrosse in the Chippewa Valley with such a talented and resilient group of women,” Puhl said. “There is so much talent in our community and I am excited to continue this journey with the Blugolds.”

Puhl was a four-year lacrosse player in high school and played one season for Augustana College at the Division III level.

In addition to her work as a lacrosse coach, Puhl has worked in education for several years. Most recently, she has worked with Four Lakes Education and Wisconsin Virtual Academy as a virtual education case manager.


 

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College Sports

Dayle Ross played most of her senior season at SCSU with torn ACL

Dayle Ross had begun doing postseason workouts in the spring with teammates on the St. Cloud State women’s hockey team when she heard something troubling. “I was a little bit worried because I heard clicking in my knee,” Ross said. “I thought it was something like my patella tendon is torn or there was some […]

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Dayle Ross had begun doing postseason workouts in the spring with teammates on the St. Cloud State women’s hockey team when she heard something troubling.

“I was a little bit worried because I heard clicking in my knee,” Ross said. “I thought it was something like my patella tendon is torn or there was some cartilage floating around. You never know.

“I reached out to my trainer and asked if I could get an MRI. It showed that it was a torn ACL and didn’t figure it would be that extreme. When I found out, I was going full out with the girls, playing games. I was feeling the best I’ve ever felt. I remember having a conversation with

(SCSU coach) Brian (Idalski)

and saying that I’ve never felt so good after a season and physically strong.”

In short order, she had surgery to repair the damage.

“We got it done within a week,” Ross said. “It was pretty fast. I’m so thankful for the staff and the doctor. If I didn’t get it done, I could have wrecked something else. This was probably the best move I made for me for hockey.

“By graduation, I was still limping and in a brace. I stayed an extra month to work with the physio and (SCSU athletic trainer) Rachel (Nagel) and all the amazing staff in St. Cloud. I can’t thank them enough for helping an old senior out.”

Ross, a 5-foot-6 22-year-old defenseman from Spirit River, Alberta, is in Ottawa and will be on hand at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 24, for the Professional Women’s Hockey League Draft. Online, you can watch the draft on the PWHL’s

YouTube station.

With Vancouver and Seattle joining as expansion teams, there will be 48 players picked over six rounds. Some draft projections have Ross going as high as the top 30 in the draft.

“At the last second, I saw the Hockey News had me ranked in the top 30 and thought, ‘maybe I should go,'” she said. “I thought that I’d be kicking myself if I don’t go. If I don’t get picked, there’s amazing people that will be there and all these coaches I’ve talked to. There are players that I grew up with or played with that will be there.

“I just want to go there for the experience more than anything.”

DSC_2125.jpg

St. Cloud State defenseman Dayle Ross celebrates a goal at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

St. Cloud State University Athletics

Ross said that her rehabilitation from surgery is ahead of schedule. She has begun jogging and is lifting weights.

“They just don’t want me to turn my knee,” she said. “I can move forward and backward and side-to-side slowly. It’s about the way I move it to protect my ACL that is starting to re-attach. I can run as long as I want, but I can’t sprint yet. It’s a slow process. I’m still getting stronger.”

Ross is known for being an ardent trainer both during and after the season. During the offseason, she is typically on the ice 3-4 times a day with either a skating instructor or giving skating lessons.

She is hoping to be able to get back on the ice by the end of July.

“I’m so used to skating all the time that I’m missing it,” Ross said. “I’m hoping that when I get back to playing hockey, my love for the game will be that much more. I hate that I’m at this point, but I know when I get back, I’ll enjoy it more.”

It sounds like she may be missing coaching youth players as much as she misses working on her own skills.

“I’m hoping to get on the ice as soon as I can because I’m missing working with the kids,” she said.

IJ8A0649.jpeg

St. Cloud State senior defenseman Dayle Ross (2) carries the puck with Mercyhurst’s Sofia Ljung defending in a nonconference women’s hockey game on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

St. Cloud State University Athletics

While she was playing through her injury, Ross ended up having the best season of her college career. She had 13 assists, 15 points, a career-best 103 shots, 46 blocked shots and led

the Huskies

in plus/minus with a career-best plus-11.

To put that plus/minus number in perspective, her next closest teammates were sophomore forward Sofianna Sundelin, senior defenseman Ella Anick and freshman defenseman Siiri Yrjölä, who were all plus-3.

Keep in mind, Ross was playing on the top defensive pairing, so she was facing most of the top scoring forwards in NCAA Division I every game.

“It’s not like I didn’t play against top lines. I was out there a lot,” Ross said. “I think (Team USA and Minnesota forward) Abbey Murphy didn’t scored on me a single time. I know that’s a good stat to have and I’m thankful for that. I know they don’t look at just stats.”

So after she got injured, how was she able to get on the ice and play?

“After the week we played Wisconsin, we had an off weekend and I took that week off and played fine,” Ross said. “I didn’t have any pain. My knee would just swell after the game sometimes.

“I did the rehab before practice, I would do some extra stuff to get through the season. I didn’t realize that I tore my ACL. My quad was strong enough to cope with the pain and cope that sensibility of my knee shifting. I played the whole season without a brace.”

IJ8A0338.jpg

St. Cloud State defenseman Dayle Ross (2) carries the puck in a game against Wisconsin with teammate Ally Qualley (12) and Badgers forward Laila Edwards (10) in pursuit at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center in St. Cloud.

St. Cloud State University Athletics

Ross’ agent is Nick DiLisi and she said that he has been talking to some PWHL teams as they prepare for the draft.

“He talks with them about who I am as a player and as a person,” she said. “He does the talking … I have no idea how many teams. A couple for sure. If there was none that my agent was talking to, I’d be a little worried. He does all that work for me.

“He’s really helped me with taking phone calls from teams and dealing with all the media stuff. He deals with talking with all the teams, which I’m not good at. So I really appreciate that about him.”

Ross also has an ally in

Idalski, who was named the first head coach of the Vancouver team on Monday, June 23.

2 Dayle Ross.jpg

“Brian is my little agent as well,” said Ross, who played three seasons for Idalski. “He has so many contacts and knows so many people and knows me personally. If there’s something bad about me, he’ll tell them. If there’s something good about me, he’ll tell them. It’s nice to have him on my side.”

Ross said that she is just hoping that she gets a shot in the PWHL and was happy with how she played last season.

“At the end of the year, I had a decent amount of points and I thought I played really well,” she said. “At the end, you never really know. The media talks about all the players that score a zillion goals and have all the points on the top teams. But there are really good players on other teams that maybe don’t get as many points, but they might get as many points if they were on one of those top teams.”

While the surgery has been a setback to her training, Ross is optimistic about her chances of getting drafted.

“I was really worried about my injury, but that’s just part of the game,” she said. “I’m a good defenseman and I have to believe that I’m good. I have to sell myself a bit.”

Ross is one of three former SCSU players likely to be drafted. The other players are

forward Emma Gentry

and

goalie Sanni Ahola,

who also finished their eligibility.

Ross has earned her degree in exercise science and was a two-time WCHA All-Academic Team pick. In her career, she had 33 assists, 40 points, 252 shots, 92 penalty minutes, was a plus-6 and had 269 blocked shots in 142 games. In 2022-23, Ross set an NCAA record with 104 blocked shots.





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DI Board of Directors formally adopts changes to roster limits

Story Links The Division I Board of Directors on Monday adopted additional changes to NCAA rules to implement the court-approved House settlement. The changes — which codify roster limits, including legislated exceptions for current student-athletes whose roster spots would have been impacted by those limits — are effective July 1. “With the […]

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The Division I Board of Directors on Monday adopted additional changes to NCAA rules to implement the court-approved House settlement. The changes — which codify roster limits, including legislated exceptions for current student-athletes whose roster spots would have been impacted by those limits — are effective July 1.

“With the court’s approval of the House settlement, college sports are entering a new era of increased benefits for college athletes,” said Tim Sands, chair of the board and president at Virginia Tech. “Today’s vote to codify the roster provisions of the settlement formally removes limits on scholarships for schools that opt in, dramatically increasing the potential available scholarships for student-athletes across all sports in Division I.”

Moving forward, NCAA rules for Division I programs will no longer include sport-specific scholarship limits. Instead, schools in the defendant conferences and others that opt in to the settlement rules and associated benefits to student-athletes will have roster limits, and schools will have the option to offer scholarships to any and all of those student-athletes. This change will dramatically increase the number of scholarships potentially available to Division I student-athletes, including more than doubling the possible number of scholarships that can be offered to women. NCAA schools have a deadline of June 30 to indicate whether they intend to opt into the settlement for the 2025-26 academic year.

The rules changes include legislated exceptions for current student-athletes with remaining eligibility whose roster spots would have been impacted by immediate implementation of the roster limits. Those designated student-athletes will be identified by their current or former schools, and regardless of the school for which they participate, they will not count toward that school’s roster limits for the duration of their eligibility.

The division’s core guarantees — which include scholarship protections — are not impacted by the rules changes. If a student-athlete receiving athletics aid loses a roster spot for roster management, athletics performance reasons, or due to injury, that student-athlete’s scholarship cannot be revoked unless and until the student chooses to transfer.

A document containing frequently asked questions and the answers to those questions was released shortly after settlement approval and will be updated as appropriate. 

Decision-Making Working Group

The board received an update from the Decision-Making Working Group on recommendations that, if adopted at the board’s August meeting, would restructure governance in Division I.

After weeks of soliciting membership feedback, via surveys and receiving direct correspondence from stakeholders, the working group met again in mid-June and made some modifications to its original concepts for committee composition and structure.

The working group’s recommendations would streamline decision-making, creating a flatter and more agile governance structure that would enable Division I to act more quickly when changes are needed. A more streamlined structure would also more clearly delineate where responsibility for membership decisions lies, thus increasing member schools’ accountability for rules they propose and adopt.

The recommended structure would, however, continue to highlight the tie between college sports and academics, focus on increased athletics opportunities, and emphasize providing a safe and healthy athletics environment. It will also protect access to championships for all Division I conferences and preserve existing revenue distribution formulas.

If ultimately adopted in August, the Division I governance structure will comprise:

  • The Division I Board of Directors, which will maintain oversight over the division’s finances, litigation and the NCAA infractions process (for violations or rules unrelated to the settlement terms).
  • The Administrative Committee, which will report to the board and will have legislative oversight for rules not included in the settlement.
  • The Academics and Eligibility Committee, which will report to the Administrative Committee and which — via two subcommittees — will have oversight over minimum standards for academics and athletics eligibility requirements.
  • The Membership Committee, which will report to the Administrative Committee and will have oversight over minimum national standards for NCAA and conference membership requirements.
  • The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which will report directly to the Division I Board of Directors.
  • Sport-specific oversight committees, which will report to the Administrative Committee when needed and will have authority over playing and practice seasons, recruiting rules, Division I playing rules and championship administration. Sport oversight committees already exist in football (Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision) and men’s and women’s basketball.

For all of the committees, the working group determined that voting representation — including the weighted voting for autonomy conferences, totaling approximately 65% on each committee — was appropriate, reflecting the recognizable prominence of the schools competing in those conferences, as well as the increased legal scrutiny those conferences face as compared with their peers.

The working group supported seats designated for certain subdivisions in Division I being populated by representatives from schools or conference offices.

Conference membership requirements

In April, the board directed NCAA staff to share concepts for potential adjustments to conference membership requirements with NCAA members for feedback.

After reviewing the feedback from NCAA members, the board took no action, noting a broad lack of support for changes at this time. Although the board will not consider any further changes to the conference membership requirements in the near future, it will consider a moratorium on applications for schools reclassifying from Division II and III to Division I during its Aug. 5 videoconference.



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Quartet from Men’s Hockey Earns CSC Academic All-District® At-Large Recognition

Story Links EASTON, Mass. (June 23, 2025) – Junior Evan Orr and sophomores Anthony Galante, Charlie Banquier, and Dominick Campione of the Stonehill College men’s hockey program have been named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® Team, as announced by the organization. To qualify for Academic All-District® honors, student-athletes must have competed […]

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EASTON, Mass. (June 23, 2025) – Junior Evan Orr and sophomores Anthony Galante, Charlie Banquier, and Dominick Campione of the Stonehill College men’s hockey program have been named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District® Team, as announced by the organization.

To qualify for Academic All-District® honors, student-athletes must have competed in at least 90 percent of their team’s games or started at least 66 percent of them. For goaltenders, eligibility requires starting at least 50 percent of a team’s contests.

Galante, a semifinalist for the 73rd Walter Brown Award and a DI Independent All-Star Team selection, earns his first CSC Academic All-District® recognition. A finance major with a 3.61 cumulative GPA, Galante led the Skyhawks in scoring with 22 points on 13 goals and nine assists. His 22 points established a new program record for a single season during the Division I era, surpassing the previous mark of 18 set by junior captain Frank Ireland in 2023–24. Galante also tied for the team lead with four power-play goals and tallied two game-winning goals.

Orr also receives Academic All-District® honors for the first time in his career. The junior defenseman posted a 3.64 GPA while delivering a breakout season on the ice. Named NCAA Division I Independent Player of the Month for January, Orr finished the season with a career-best 15 points, including eight goals and seven assists. His eight goals ranked second on the team, and he led the Skyhawks with five game-winning goals—three of which came in overtime. One of those overtime winners lifted Stonehill to a historic 3–2 victory over No. 9 UMass Lowell, the program’s first win over a nationally ranked Division I opponent.

Campione and Banquier round out Stonehill’s Academic All-District® selections after each earned a 3.61 GPA while majoring in finance. Campione emerged as one of the team’s most productive blueliners, ranking second among defensemen and fourth overall on the squad with 13 points (3 goals, 10 assists). Banquier contributed a career-high 10 points on two goals and eight assists over 31 games and ranked third on the team in blocked shots with 43.

Stonehill’s four CSC Academic All-District® honorees mark the most honorees for the Skyhawks at the Division I level. Stonehill men’s hockey improved by 10 wins in its third season at the DI level, capping off the 2024-25 campaign with a 12-22 mark.

About College Sports Communicators

College Sports Communicators (CSC) was founded in 1957 and is a 3,200+ member national association for strategic, creative, and digital communicators across intercollegiate athletics in the United States and Canada. The current name of the organization was adopted following a member-wide vote on Aug. 31, 2022.

 

From its founding in 1957 until the 2022 name change, the organization was known as College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

 

The name change signaled a significant step in a broader strategic plan to highlight the association’s evolution and growth. The move better aligns with the association’s membership makeup and further positions the organization to support and advocate for its members who serve in the communications, digital, and creative sports industry, regardless of position or title.

 

The organization, which celebrated its 65th anniversary during the 2021-22 academic year, is the second-oldest management association in all intercollegiate athletics. College Sports Communicators became an affiliated partner with NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics) in December 2008.

 

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

 





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‘He has that fire:’ Meet James Hagens, Boston College’s top NHL draft prospect

On Friday night, a lifelong dream will come true for James Hagens. The only question is how early. The 18-year-old from Boston College is a no-doubt first-rounder in the NHL Entry Draft. The No. 3 ranked North American skater according to NHL Central Scouting, Hagens falls between No. 2 overall and No. 5 in most […]

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On Friday night, a lifelong dream will come true for James Hagens.

The only question is how early.

The 18-year-old from Boston College is a no-doubt first-rounder in the NHL Entry Draft. The No. 3 ranked North American skater according to NHL Central Scouting, Hagens falls between No. 2 overall and No. 5 in most pre-draft rankings. In a poll at The Athletic, evaluators were unanimous in voting Hagens as the “best hands” in his entire class.

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No matter where Hagens goes, he’s going to relish the moment.

That’s the advice he’s received from Boston College teammates like Ryan Leonard, Gabriel Perreault, and Jacob Fowler, all of whom have been drafted in the early rounds over the past two seasons.

“They all say the same thing: Just be grateful. Take it all in,” Hagens said. “It goes by quick. This summer is a little crazy, but this is something you’ll remember for the rest of your life. So these are all really special moments that you have to make sure you cherish with yourself and your family. It’s just something to be grateful for.”

Hagens has a chance to be drafted the highest of the bunch.

‘I’ve had to work for everything’

The son of two teachers, Hagens grew up on Long Island in Hauppauge, NY. His father, Michael, played defenseman for Division III SUNY-Brockport (1997-2000), and was quick to get the family hooked on hockey.

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He built a backyard rink and all three of his children took to it.

Hagens’ older brother, Michael, is also a defenseman at Boston College, while his younger sister Emma plays at the Portledge School. Growing up they ventured to Islanders games at Nassau Coliseum and Hagens had a picture with Matt Martin on his bedroom wall. A playmaking forward on the smaller side, he liked watching clips of Blackhawks star Patrick Kane.

After being coaching by his father on the Long Island Royals, Hagens starred at Rhode Island powerhouse Mount St. Charles and the US National Development Team Program before landing at Boston College as a 17-year-old last fall. Feeling he’d accomplished enough after two seasons of juniors, he was ready to raise the bar.

“I wanted to be challenged at the college level,” Hagens said. “I wanted to join Boston College and I wanted to be pushed every day, playing against guys that are older and stronger that will push you and get you ready for the NHL… I knew that it would be the best step in getting me ready.”

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Though it all, Hagens has carried a work ethic his parents instilled in him at a young age. When he attended the NHL Combine in June, he was hopeful that it stood out to teams.

“Just how high my compete level is,” Hagens said. “I love winning. I will do anything to win. Something that’s helped me get to the point where I am today is just how hard I’ve been able to work my whole life.

“Nothing has ever come easy. I’ve had to work for everything that I’ve ever gotten before. And that’s something I’m super grateful for. That’s something that’s just within my family. That’s something I was raised up, taught from my parents and my coaches. So going into those meetings, just really expressing how hard I compete and how badly I want to be on a team and hopefully win a Stanley Cup someday.”

‘He has that fire’

When Hagens arrived at Conte Forum, his new coach Greg Brown was struck by his demeanor right away.

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“He’s a happy kid,” Brown said. “He comes into the rink every day with a smile. Just excited to be there. You can feel his positive energy when he comes into the locker room.”

As a teenager playing in rough-and-tumble Hockey East, Hagens acclimated to the competition quickly. He was named the Rookie of the Month in November, and once he returned from an exceptional World Juniors tournament — five goals, four assists en route to a Gold Medal — in January, Brown saw Hagens raise the bar even higher.

“You could see when games were tight, that he would elevate and really want to assert himself and try and take over the game,” Brown said. “Or (have) a major impact in the game. So he has that competitiveness. He has that fire.”

Hagens wound up with 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) in 37 games as a freshman. The goal total wasn’t huge, but Hagens was centering a line with NHL-bound wingers in Leonard and Perrault. He was happy to make the right play to set a teammate up. Hagens just wanted the 27-8-2 Eagles to win games.

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Though it wasn’t a Macklin-Celebrini-style explosion, he was pleased to be producing at a point-per-game rate given the level of competition he was facing.

“You’re playing against guys that are 25, 24-year-olds every night,” Hagens said. “It’s tough. It’s hard hockey, but I’m super grateful to be able to have the year I was able to have with the group of guys we did have.”

Away from the rink, there was one other thing that stood out to Brown.

“He cares,” Brown said. “He cares about his teammates. He wants to do the right things. He wants to learn. There’s a lot of — it’s not just going out there to show off his skill package. He wants to play the right way within the frame of the game and that’s not always easy for guys who grow up always being the best guy on the ice. He wants to understand the big picture of how it all works and then be able to be as big a factor as he can within that framework.”

‘Getting drafted has been my dream’

Now comes the uncertainty for Hagens.

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After earning spots on the US Development Team and at Boston College, he won’t have agency in where he’s drafted. It could be his hometown Islanders at No. 1 overall, the Bruins at No. 7, or anywhere from East Coast to West.

If he slides to Boston, Hagens said he’d be embrace being a Bruin.

“I love Boston,” Hagens said. “Being at Boston College, we’re right in the middle of Boston there. So it’s a beautiful city. Only great things to say about it. I love it there.”

After the draft, Hagens said he doesn’t know if he’ll be back in Chestnut Hill for another season. That’s a conversation he’ll need to have with the team that drafts him and his family. NHL teams retain the rights of their draft picks throughout their college careers, so there’s no rush for most selections.

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Brown would certainly welcome him back with open arms.

“He’s a driver on our team,” Brown said. “A key guy. All over the ice, but especially in offensive situations. He’s able to create offense where there seems to be none, and that’s not an easy thing to do. I also think he would grow his leadership in the locker room and on the ice coming back as a sophomore.”

Over the past year, there’s been plenty of speculation about where he’ll land next, but Hagens is doing his best to embrace the noise. Sooner or later, he knows his name will be called, and he’ll be one step closer to the NHL.

“Honestly, you just kinda have to be grateful about it,” Hagens said. “Being able to hear your name in those conversations and obviously leading up to the draft now, being allowed the opportunity to get drafted into any organization in the league, it’s something you have to be grateful for. It’s one step in your process, but you just have to be ready.

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“Getting drafted has been my dream my whole entire life. That’s why I started playing hockey. That’s why I still play. I’m really just grateful for everything right now. The noise will always be there, but you just have to make sure you’re living in the moment.”

Read the original article on MassLive.



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